The Ministry of State (MP) is investigating a complaint against the Centro Social de Esgueira in Aveiro over alleged irregularities that occurred at a Christmas party for children who attended the institution in 2022, a source connected to the process said on Friday.
According to the same source, it is a complaint filed by a guardian regarding a Christmas party that took place on December 13, 2022, targeting the preschools and ATL areas of this private institution for social solidarity (IPSS).
In the complaint, the author alleges that during the party, several balloons were released and began to burst, causing several children to become “scared and cry,” putting their “physical and emotional integrity” into question.
The document also quotes a preschool teacher who said she saw some of the children being “knocked down” and “trampled” by elders, adding that “fortunately no one was hurt.”
In addition to the deputy, the complaint was also received by the Social Security Service (SS), which requested information from the institution about this incident and about the measures taken with the parents and their legal representatives.
In its response, the facility said balloons and candy were thrown during the party, which created “some confusion” among children who wanted to catch them, and the noise of the party and balloons popping caused “some children to become scared.” .
Although the situation caused “some confusion”, IPSS stresses that the incident was quickly resolved without causing any serious harm to any children present.
The institution also said it was not aware of the complaint because to date no parents have expressed any grievances or requests for clarification about what happened with management.
The CC emphasizes that although there was no accident, the IPSS should have informed the parents of the incident, discussing and clarifying any comments or bad feelings expressed by the children or technical staff.